The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years.Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born.The 12 days of Christmas,the bright fires,the yule log,the giving of gifts,carnivals (parades) with floats,carolers who sing while going from house to house,the holiday feasts,and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.
Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years.